Method of completing wells



Feb. 14, 1939. G. A. LowREY METHOD OF COMPLFTlNG WELLS Original FiledAug. 22, 1936 Patented Feb. i4, 1939 UNiTEn STATES PATENT OFFICEOriginal application Augustl 22, 1936, Serial No. 97,389. Divided andthis application October 22, 1937, Seriali No. 179,356

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of completing a Well.

This is a divisional application, the invention herein described havingbeen divided out of my co-pending application, Serial No. 97,389, led

August 22, 1936.

In carrying on well drilling operations the well bore, at times, becomesobstructed or it may become inclined to such an extent that it isnecesio sary to side track the lower end of the bore to straighten thebore. In either of such events it is common practice to lower awhipstock into the well casing and to anchor it therein above theobstruction or at the point where the bore is l5 to be straightened, foruse in connection with a milling tool to mill out the side of the casingso as to form a window, or opening, through which subsequent drillingoperations may be carried on. This is a rather diflicult and uncertainoperation and it is one of the prime objects of the method hereindisclosed to completely remove a section of the Well casing without theuse of a whipstock, the whipstock then being set in the upper end of thelower section with its tapering face opposite the removed portion of thecasing and said whipstock used only for the purpose of side tracking thedrilling tool while carrying on the subsequent operations.

The method, however, may be coniined to the removal of a section ofcasing set in a well oppo-n site an oil bearing stratum instead ofperforating the casing to permit the inow gf oil as is now commonlydone.

With the above and other objects in view the invention has particularrelation to a novel method, examples of which are given in this specification and illustrated in 'the accompanying drawing, wherein:-

Figure 1 shows a vertical sectional view of the 40 well casing, showinga section removed and a whipstock and drilling tool therein preparatoryto side tracking.

Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,and

45 Figure 3 shows a vertical sectional View showing a section of thecasing, opposite an oil bearing stratum, removed.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the

Cil

numerals l and 2 designate upper and lower sec- 50 tions of a casing setin a well, an intermediate portion of the casing being shown removed.This intermediate section may be removed in any pref erred manner as bymeans of a milling tool fully described in said co-pending application,or the intermediate section of the casing may be removed by an explosivetorpedo which may be lowered to the desired point in the casing and 5exploded so as to shatter the opposing section of the casing and todrive the shattered particles back into the wall of the formation.

When said section of the casing has been removed to give the requiredamount of. open hole, 1o the' uid such as gas or oil may iiow in fromthe oil bearing stratum 3 and flow or be pumped to the ground surface.If it be desired to side track the bore a whipstock 4 may be loweredinto the casing and anchored inthe upper end of the l5- lower cut oiisection of the casing as shown in Figure 1 with its sloping face 5opposite the open hole. A drilling tool 6 is then attached to the lowerend of the stem 1 and it may then be 1ow` ered and the sloping face ordeector of the 20 whipstock will deect the drilling tool so as to sidetrack the original bore as shown in Figure 1.

The drawing and description disclose what is now considered to be apreferred form of the 25 invention by way of illustration only, whilethe broad" principle of the invention will be defined by the appendedclaims.

What I claim is:-

1. The method of side tracking a well bore hav- 30 ing a casing thereinwhich consists in completely removing a section of the casing to providean open hole, setting a deiiector opposite said open hole, then loweringa. drilling tool into the casing until it is deected by the deector toside track the bore beneath.

2. The method of side tracking a well bore having a casing therein whichconsists of completely f removing a section of the casing in the bore toform an open hole, lowering a drilling tool through the opening therebyformed in the casing and drilling a side tracking bore beneath.

3. The method of completing a well havinga casing set therein whichconsists in cutting and removing an intermediate section of said casingfrom the well bore to form an unobstructed open hole between theportions of the casing remaining in the well then lowering a drillingtool through between said portions of the casing and drilling a sidetracking bore beneath. 5o

carcasa A. Lowanr.

